Have you ever heard of the "Candy Makers Witness" ????
If you haven't then you are in for a real treat. It's a beautiful story of how the Candy Cane came about and the meaning of Christmas that it represents.
For the last 3 Christmas's ..here in our neighborhood they have a festival of lights. All of the homeowners are asked to participate by putting up any amount of Christmas lights from a single strand to elaborate themes ..more than anything just some lights. Then a few weeks prior to Christmas the HOA comes around and jusdges the homes and hands out awards ..Then Christmas eve ..Santa comes and is driven through the streets ..while carolers are pulled in trailers and even this year I hear they are having a golf cart parade.
Christmas is a big deal at our house ...we love to decorate, bake, and share in the giving and the joy of the season. Most of all we love to share why we celebrate Christmas with those passing by ....Because Christmas is the Birthday of Jesus ..the best gift ever.
In sharing this ..we will hand back home made cookies, cakes, candies and oodles of goodies along with making piping hot..hot chocolate and Coffee ..which we hand out on christmas eve to all those passing by ..along with their treats for their tummy ..we hand out a 4 x 6 index card with the story of the "Candy Makers Witness" ..with a mini candy cane attatched to it with curling ribbon. People always love the story and most have never heard it ..and are always so thankful to receive it.
Will this year ..we are not participating in our neighborhood festivities as we have an impending move in the new year we are preparing for ...and we just felt it would be very overwhelming to try and decorate so extensively and then have to re-pack it all shortly after along with all that a long distance move brings. So I thought I would share the story ..here on my blog with all my friends ..
Plus a bonues ...I turned my index card with graphics and story on it ..into a PDF file ..this way ..all you need do is open the link to the file ..and save it to your computer and print up and hand out as many as you like ..
Rather you hand out the cards...to the local cashier ..or if your having a bake sale ..or you want to take them to a local ladies shelter or recovery shelter for those in need this year. It's a low cost gift ..letting others know the Free Gift that Jesus Christ is to them ...An Eternal Gift !!!
So click
HERE to retrieve the PDF file ...once you open it just click in the top left corner on FILE and then click on the option SAVE AS and you can then save it to your computer .
( PLEASE NOTE: it may take a few minutes for the file to load ..so once you click to open it ..you may want to open another window to continue on to your next site. It will load ..as I have tested it ..but it did take a few minutes. )Below is the Story ..if you would just like to read it ..or want to copy and paste it to your own Christmas Cards.
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"A Candymaker's Witness"
A candymaker in Indiana wanted to makea candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He Incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.
He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the Foundation of the Church, and firmness of the Promise of God.
The Candymaker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Saviour. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which he reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift our the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.
Thinking that the candy was some what plain, the candymaker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The Large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the Promise of Eternal Life.
Unfortunately, the candy became known as a candy cane a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas Time. But the meaning is still there for those who"Have eyes to see and ears to hear." I Pray that this symbol will again be used to witness TO THE WONDER OF JESUS AND HIS GREAT LOVE that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominate force in the universe today.
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May you all have a Very Blessed and Very Merry Christmas ...
Celebrate with all your might ..the Birth of our Lord and Saviour !
Your Kindred Friend ...Sara
